[chartrusepengui]

I am a music teacher, an avid hunter and official. I have always been concerned with my ears/hearing. I have gone to an audiologist and have been fitted for a pair of special custom ear plugs. These plugs filter the sounds that cause problems and cut sounds of certain frequency - lowering decibel's to a safe range.

Basically they work like this - once you put them in you can stand if front of a pep band, on a firing range, or with a person blowing whistle in your ear - yet still hear a normal conversation with the person standing next to you. They h ave been great, and are comfortable. No problems with normal conversation with or without other noise around. You can have them customized for shooting, music, gunfire, etc or for all. They are not cheap - I paid around $300 for the first set - but upgraded so that one set would cover everything. However - they last. I've had them for 17 years and they are still good. I work with the wife of the guy that fitted them and see him fairly often. He has checked them - and they are still like new. Just follow the directions for cleaning and you'll have no problems. he told me that the only thing you need to worry about is not losing them. I'd ask when you go to the ENT.